Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1887-04-14
The Nautch-Girls, Dance.

had been wondering whether an
opportunity TO see this famous dance
would occur during my tour through
India, and so when four or five of the
prettiest of these dnsky damsels gath
cred around me, smiled at me win
somely, ogled me with their bewitch-
ing black eyes, smiled again, smiled
separately, smiled unanimously, smiled
all over their semi-mahogany but new
ertheless not unhandsome faces.
There is no language more eloquent
or more easily understood, under GER
tain circumstances, than the language
of facial expression. No verbal ques-
ton or answer was necessary. / in-
terpreted the winsome smiles of the
Nautch dancers right and they inter
pfeted very quickly the permission to
60 ahead that revealed itself. in the
smile they had forced from me. Eight
of the twelve were commonplace girls
from Ia to Is, and the other four were
quite handsome, as handsome goes
among the Hindoos. Their arms were
bare of anything save bracelets. and
the upper portion of the body was
but scantily clothed, after the manner
and custom of all Hindoo females; but
an ample skirt of calico reached to the
ankles. Rings were on every toe, and
massive silver anklets, with tiny bells
attached, made music when they
walked or danced. They wore a pro-
fusion of bracelets, necklaces of rubies,
head ornaments, earrings and PEN
dants, and q massive gold or brass
ring in the left nostriI
The Nautch girls arranged them
selves into half-circle, their scarlet
costumes forming bright crescent,
terminating at either end in mass of
spectators, whose half-naked bodies,
varying in color from pale olive
to mahogany, were arrayed in cos
tunes scarcely less sshowy than the
dancers. The chaperone toms-toms,
an appropriate Nanteh accompaniment
on drum with his fingers, and four
pretty girls advance from the half
circle, and favoring me with quartet
of coquettish glances from their bright,
dark eyes, they commence to dance.
An idea seems to prevail in occidental
minds that the Indian Nautch dance is
very naughty thing, but nothing is
farther from the truth. OF course. it
can be made naughty, and, no doubt,
often is, but then SO can many another
form Of innocent amusement. The
proper Nautch dance is decorous
and artistic performance when proper
" danced; the graceful motions and
elegant proportions of the human form,
as revealed by 1.-THE and graceful dane
ers, are to be reviewed with an eye as
purely artistic and critical as Venus
or other production Of the sculptor's
studio. Only the s.British matron''
would consider a Nautch dance in any
5 degree indecorous. The four dancers
take the hem of their red garment be-
tween the thumb and finger of their
right hand, spreading its ample folds
INTO the figure of on open fan by bring
ing the outstretched arm almost on
level to the shoulder. A mantle Of
transparent muslin, fringed with silver
spangles, is worn about the head and
shoulders in the same indescribably
graceful manner as the mantiila of the
Spanish senorita. Raising a portion
VI ILLS dAOlb III llAc iC4b llstllNl anu AGED~
ing the fan intact with the rig.c the
dancers twirl around and change posi-
tions with each other, their supple fig
ures meanwhile assuming variety of
graceful motions and postures from
time to time. Now they initiate the
spiral movements of serpent, climb
ing around and upward on an imagi-
nary pole; again they assume charm
ing posture, their dusky countenances
half-hidden in seeming coquetry be-
hind the muslin mantle, the large red
fan waved gently to and fro, the feet
unmoving, but ne undulating motions
of the body and the trembling of the
limbs suf1icing to jingle the tiny ankle
bells. Thomas SteUens, IN Boston Her.
aid.